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Wales, United Kingdom
Documenting one couple's attempts to live a more self-sufficient life.

Thursday 14 January 2016

Bright and cold

OK, so yesterday I didn't manage to get anything posted, and it was because the post got too long and I ran out of time. If I'd just stopped and posted what I already had, it would have just been about stuff that happened two years ago and none of the more recent stuff. Ho hum.

Today, we finally have some almost-wintery weather. It's bright and sunny, and there's snow on the hills.


It wasn't quite so bright at 10:30 this morning.
I love to watch the mist rising in the valley.

As the sunlight chased across the view, I saw a bright green, sunlit field with a bright snowy hill behind it. The camera saw either one...

... or the other.


The railway dog came up to check things out. He may not have been checking the same things as the humans he was with.


Our window thermometer shows the temperature not much above freezing

I was surprised by a noise I haven't heard for a while, the noise of a water pump.


Solar panel display shows a much higher temperature for the panel
(that's Celsius, so about 104 Farenheit).

In direct sunlight, the solar panel heats up well, even when the air temperature is cold. Since the water tank was relatively cool this morning, the panel got warm enough for the controller to switch on the pump. This is very pleasing. Less pleasing is the amount of heat lost between the panel and the house (indicated by 'Pipe' temperature). I'll come back to this.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like you're finally getting a taste of winter! I love your photos but isn't it frustrating when you can't get the camera to see what you do? Sigh. Anyhow, can't wait to hear about what I'm sure will be your innovative solution to insulating those pipes! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I wrote this, I thought of the kind of snow you get, and that's why I wrote, "almost-wintery." It's not much to get excited about, but it is a nice change from the dull, wet weather we've had so much of recently.

      Hmm, I'm not sure that my insulation will be very innovative. It will probably just be tedious and frustrating to have to keep going back over something I thought I'd finished (which is why I haven't done it yet), but be sure I'll tell you about it!

      Delete

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